Miracle Baby Fights for Life After Choking Incident in London
A young Australian family’s dream trip to London has turned into a harrowing ordeal as their one-year-old daughter, Emanuelly Rodrigues, battles for her life following a severe choking incident. The toddler suffered devastating brain damage after becoming obstructed by a piece of fruit, leading to a cardiac arrest and a prolonged period without oxygen. Doctors are now fighting to save the ‘miracle’ baby, but her family faces significant challenges in accessing the urgent medical treatment she desperately needs.
Emanuelly, who had been in London with her parents, Wanessa and Luiz, and her older sister, Isabela, for four months, was being looked after by a babysitter on February 3 when the terrifying event unfolded. She began choking on a strawberry. Despite the babysitter’s immediate attempts to dislodge the obstruction, they were unsuccessful. In a desperate plea for help, the babysitter ran into the street, where a passing student doctor bravely intervened.
The student doctor swiftly acted, picking up Emanuelly and rushing her to Watford General Hospital. There, medical professionals worked tirelessly, performing CPR and resuscitating the infant. The critical intervention was necessary as Emanuelly had gone into cardiac arrest and her brain had been starved of oxygen for approximately 30 minutes. Following resuscitation, she was intubated and placed in an induced coma for over a week, initially at St Mary’s Hospital in London, before being transferred back to Watford General.
Her father, Luiz Rodrigues, 23, recounted the traumatic experience to media outlets, describing the desperate moments. “Emanuelly choked on a strawberry, (the babysitter) tried to dislodge it without success, (and then) ran into the street asking for help,” he explained. “A medical student who was passing by picked Emanuelly up and ran to the hospital. They began the process to clear her airways and perform CPR. It took about 30 minutes until they managed to resuscitate her.”
The aftermath of the incident has left Emanuelly with profound neurological issues. She is now blind, unable to walk or talk, and requires to be fed through a tube. She also exhibits dystonia, a condition causing uncontrolled and sometimes painful muscle movements, along with muscle rigidity. Emanuelly is currently receiving anticonvulsant medication to manage potential seizures, as well as sedatives and painkillers.
“Wanessa is constantly by Emanuelly’s side,” Mr. Rodrigues shared, his voice heavy with emotion. “These are very difficult, worrying, and very sad days, with no solutions being found. We feel anguish, despair and fear.” He described his daughter as a “very special child, very intelligent, and loves playing with her older sister. She enjoys watching cartoons and loved visiting the parks in the United Kingdom.” He added, “Her situation is very delicate due to the severity of the injury, she may suffer serious permanent damage. Currently, she is stable, but everything can change, but we believe she will be fine, she just needs treatment and time to recover. She is a warrior and a miracle.”
The family’s predicament is compounded by their immigration status. They are currently in the UK on a tourist visa and lack the valid medical insurance required to access the specialist neuro-rehabilitation treatment Emanuelly urgently requires. This has left them “stranded” and unable to secure the necessary care. The specialist treatment is also not readily available in their home country of Brazil, according to a family friend.
To help bridge this critical gap, a family friend, Heidi Dunn, 32, has launched a GoFundMe campaign with a target of £16,000. The funds are intended to cover Emanuelly’s extensive healthcare needs in the UK. The family has been advised that Emanuelly is not fit to fly on a commercial flight, and the cost of an air ambulance is prohibitively expensive.
The GoFundMe page, which has already garnered over £4,600, details the family’s arrival in London in November 2025 and the tragic turn of events. It highlights that Emanuelly suffered “significant brain swelling” after being deprived of oxygen for approximately 30 minutes, leading to “profound neurological issues.” The page emphasizes that doctors have advised she “urgently needs specialist neuro‑rehabilitation treatment to give her any chance of improvement.”
The family has been informed that obtaining a medical letter confirming Emanuelly’s unsuitability for standard commercial travel could potentially allow them to apply for a visa extension, enabling her to remain in the UK for treatment. However, this crucial step has not yet been facilitated by the hospital, leaving the family in a state of uncertainty and distress.
“As a parent, seeing them go through such a devastating situation with little support motivated me to set up a GoFundMe to help,” Ms. Dunn stated. The donations will be used to support Emanuelly’s care, including specialist therapy and rehabilitation, essential medical equipment and supplies, transportation to appointments, basic living expenses for the family, and any necessary legal or professional assistance to navigate visa and treatment options.
A spokesperson for Watford General Hospital acknowledged the gravity of the situation, stating, “This is a terribly sad and complex situation. We will continue to work with care and compassion with Emanuelly and her parents during what is deeply distressing time for them all.” Similarly, a spokesperson for St Mary’s Hospital offered their condolences, noting, “Our thoughts are with the whole family at this most sad and difficult time. Care is now being provided at another hospital, more local to the family.”
The family’s hope now rests on the generosity of others and the potential for a breakthrough in securing the necessary medical documentation and a pathway to continued treatment for their brave little girl. Emanuelly has been in hospital for over a month, a testament to her resilience and the unwavering love of her parents.
